


Master Kenobi, You Disappoint Me

by I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Self-Hatred, failure - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 19:51:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9841394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning/pseuds/I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning
Summary: Ever wonder why Dooku stabbed Obi-Wan in the leg when he could have killed him, if he was just going to kill him a second later? A change of story, so Dooku isn't as theatrical. *Checks notes* No, wait. Scratch that last one. Still theatrical. Just a bit more efficient this time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: No resolution to this story. As in, it doesn't have an ending. As in, ends in a cliff-hanger. As in, you won't know the ending, because there isn't one. Mostly because I had no solid desire to go either direction with it, so it's a bit of a Schrodinger's Cat.

 

 

“Master Kenobi, you disappoint me. Master Yoda holds you in such high esteem. Surely you can do _better_.”

Obi-Wan fought his best.

He was exhausted. Wounded. Spent from the battle. He'd been denied access to both food and water and subjected to hours of struggle beneath a merciless sun.

Dooku was rested. Hadn't exerted himself.

And had several decades more dueling experience than Obi-Wan.

The glancing strike that carved agony into Obi-Wan's left arm was inevitable.

What was shocking was how long Obi-Wan had held him off given his current condition.

Obi-Wan's defense faltered as he cried out in pain.

And then the red sword was sunk hilt-deep in Obi-Wan's chest.

Obi-Wan choked on blood, his gaze meeting his wounded padawan's as he sagged forward against Dooku's shoulder.

His grand-master held him there, gently prying the lightsaber from his fingers and hooking it to his own belt.

Dooku held him close, blade still crackling. “You failed,” he murmured, his voice comforting. “You failed them all, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan struggled to breathe around the blade, he couldn't—

“The Jedi who came to rescue you. They didn't know Skywalker and Amidala were here. They came for _you,_ for you alone. They _died_ for you. The only thing that would have made that gift worth while is if you lived. But no. You have failed, and made their sacrifice in vain.”

Obi-Wan shivered in agony, without the strength to push away from the man who claimed to miss Qui-Gon.

Dooku extinguished his saber, and a jagged breath escaped Obi-Wan.

“You failed Qui-Gon. You promised to train the boy he found, but look where that boy is now. You failed young Skywalker. If you'd trained him better, he would have listened to you. You wouldn't have faced me alone. Because you failed him,  _he_ lies there wounded, and I will kill him. He will die for your failure, Obi-Wan.”

Despair washed over Obi-Wan as he tried to reach for his lightsaber, tried to call it to his hand with the Force—

And nothing happened.

He was fading too rapidly.

Too rapidly.

He clutched at Dooku's shoulder in an unconscious attempt to ward against the pain, ending up with a fistful of cape, like a child comforted by a parent—

“Qui-Gon Jinn deserved better than  _you._ ” Dooku's kind voice turned vicious and he pushed Obi-Wan away.

The Jedi's legs, completely nonfunctional, simply tangled and he crashed to the floor.

The pain was too great for a scream, so he curled in on himself and gasped.

“You failed him, and he died. It should have been you, so long ago. All of this would have been prevented, if someone  _capable_ had been sent on your mission. If  _Qui-Gon_ had been sent. You should have thrown yourself on Maul's saber, should have paid that price in your blood so Qui-Gon could have walked away.”

“Enough that is, Dooku.”

Obi-Wan thought he heard Yoda.

Couldn't be sure.

The agony of death was too possessive, too jealous to grant him that much clarity.

 

* * *

 

“Tend your master you will!” Yoda directed as he engaged Dooku in battle.

Anakin staggered to his feet, demanding those feet _work._

His tongue still wouldn't.

He'd watched the despair fill his master's eyes.

It broke his heart.

He collapsed beside Obi-Wan, frantically pawing at the tunics concealing the wound.

“I'm sorry,” Obi-Wan choked. “I'm sorry.”

Anakin shook his head. Dragged his mouth open. “ _No._ ”

“He's right.” Obi-Wan panted against the pain, against the  _grief._ “I failed all of you—”

“No.  _I_ failed.” It was all his still-numb lips would allow.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I wasn't— what you needed. What you deserved. You deserved better. If I had taught you well, it wouldn't have—”

“ _Stop._ ”

A clap in the Force announced Dooku's death.

Obi-Wan didn't seem to notice it.

“I've got you, master. Just hold on.”

“You'd be better off without me— you've said it yourself—”

“I didn't  _mean_ it,” Anakin begged. “You have to believe me. I was angry. Dooku said you'd failed the Jedi here because you died, right? But you haven't died  _yet._ So if you refuse to  _die,_ then you will have undone one of those failings. You can  _fix_ it by  _living—_ ”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So does he live? Does he die? No idea. What is written is what leaped clearly-formed into my head, and when I tried to find a more “completed” ending for it, nothing came. After several runs at it, I decided to let the story be what it wanted to be. If it makes you feel better to think he lived, and that Anakin in response learns to see past himself, mending their relationship— then do that. If you'd rather he died and Anakin finds himself in a spiral (there's got to be one or two of you out there. Somewhere.) — so be it.


End file.
